TRIMMING. 195 



at a time round the comb, and pulling it out; this gives some 

 little pain, but apparently not much, and evidently not more than 

 the trimming of the legs, and not so much as in pulling out the 

 feelers or bristles growing from the nostrils. A small lock of the 

 mane is generally cut just behind the ears where the head of the 

 bridle rests, as it would otherwise lie beneath that part in an un- 

 tidy manner. 



In trimming the tail various methods are adopted, when it is 

 cut square; for if the hairs are allowed to grow to the full length, 

 no interference is necessary beyond an occasional clipping of their 

 points to prevent them from breaking or splitting. A square tail, 

 however, whether long or short, demands the careful use of the 

 scissors or knife, without which the horse to which it belongs is 

 sadly disfigured. Two modes are practised, in the first the tail 

 is carefully combed out, and then allowing it to fall in its natural 

 position, it is gathered up in the hand just above the part to be 

 cut off, and here a sharp knife is drawn across it backwards and 

 forwards without notching it, till it passes clean through. The 

 tail is then released, and any loose hairs projecting are removed 

 with the scissors. The second mode is not so easy, but when well 

 carried out is more satisfactory to the eye, inasmuch as it is capa- 

 ble of giving a sharper and more defined edge to the square tail. 

 As in the first method, the tail is carefully combed out; it is then 

 held by an assistant's hand, placed beneath the root of the dock, 

 as nearly as may be in the position which it assumes in the animal 

 out of doors. While thus poised the operator takes a pair of 

 sharp scissors, and holding the blades horizontally open, he in- 

 sinuates one of them through the middle of the tail at the place 

 to be cut, passing it straight backwards, and cutting the hair 

 quite level from the central line to the outside on his own left. 

 Then reversing the blades, and keeping to the same level, he cuts 

 towards the right, and if he has a good eye and can use his hands 

 in accordance with its dictates, he will have presented a very 

 prettily squared tail. On the other hand, if these organs are 

 defective, or if he wants experience, he will have notched the end 

 of the tail in a most unsightly manner. If the groom wishes to 

 try his hand in this operation, he should get hold of a long tail, 

 and begin far below the point where the squared end is intended 

 finally to be. This will afford him five or six experimental cuts, 

 and if he cannot satisfy himself, as he nears the proper length, 

 that he will be likely to succeed, he can still call in the aid of a 

 more skilful operator before it is too late. The hair of the tail 

 grows so slowly, that two or three months are required to remove 

 the disfigurement which is sometimes caused in this way, and con- 

 sequently it behooves the groom to be doubly careful, for his own 

 sake as well as his master's. 



